Quote:
Originally Posted by whiskey111
I have read a book by Tameichi Hara "Japanese Destroyer Captain" and I think he did not describe anything like altering ships profile and masts height.
So... to be a true and real captain should I use plotting only ? If yes, can you advice which mods are dedicated for such procedures ?
Thanks
W
|
Yes, I have that book also. It's a great read. But I wouldn't expect to read anything about altering merchant ships in that book. I still highly recommend the book as a way to get inside the Japanese mindset as to defending against submarines. The short version is that the Allies thought that defense was offense and to be pursued just as urgently. The Japanese saw offense as honorable and defense as a much lower status activity. Hara saw defense as a positive attack on enemy submarines. He was definitely in the minority.
But yes, American boats (and German boats too) used plotting as their method of enemy course and AoB determination. Especially in an American boat with radar, no method can come within a tenth of the accuracy. Would you rather fix the position of a target to within 15 yards or within 150 yards? Would you rather have target speed within a couple percent or 40%? That's the choice. Radar was the final piece in the puzzle of making a diesel electric submarine a valid and effective weapon of war. The Germans never solved the problem and never had a chance in the Battle of the Atlantic due to multiple mistakes in submarine design.
When Dick O'Kane's radar broke down he sent Pearl a sarcastic message along the lines of "well, there goes half my torpedoes, wasted." He was being optimistic.
I recommend Trigger Maru Overhauled for learning to plot correctly. It has eliminated the text that identifies the target, heading and speed. It replaces the ship silhouettes with position points and there is no velocity vector on the nav map. Since the radar screens can't be read to the +-15 yard accuracy of the real boats' radar, plotting radar points on the nav map is the most realistic way to obtain the same quality information that the real subs had. And that's what TMO does.
Our new mod, Fall of the Rising Sun Ultimate Edition, will also plot in that way by default, but you will be able to choose your plotting scheme to fit your taste.